For children, exercise may help stave off depression

Feb 27, 2017

The Globe and Mail – Dave McGinn

“One more reason to make your kids put down screens and go play outside. Multiple studies have found a link between physical activity and lower rates of depression in adults and teens. Now, researchers have shown the same correlation exists for children as young as 6. In a study published in this month’s journal Pediatrics, researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology tracked nearly 800 children for two years, beginning when they were six years old. The children’s parents were interviewed about their children’s mental health. Accelerometers were used to measure each child’s physical activity. Consistent with previous studies of adults and teenagers, the researchers found that two years later, the physically active kids had fewer symptoms of depression.”(more)